Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is in deep talks to offload a 20% slice of the Formula One Miami Grand Prix to Otro Capital, a private equity firm. We’re talking big money and even bigger stakes here, even if the deal isn’t officially inked yet. This isn’t just some small time sale, folks. This is a significant move for one of the biggest names in sports ownership, and it shows where the real money is flowing in the sports world.
The Miami Grand Prix: A Piece of a Billion-Dollar Empire
This isn’t about the Dolphins, let’s be clear. Ross owns a whole sports and entertainment empire called Ross Sports & Entertainment, which only formed back in August. It holds the Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, a roughly 45% stake in the Miami Open tennis tournament, and even the super exclusive Precision Drive Club. But this specific deal? It’s only for the Miami Grand Prix. Ross, who has been chairman and owner of the race since 2021, has absolutely no plans to sell the entire thing, according to sources. And why would he? The Miami Grand Prix has been a wild success, scoring five consecutive sellouts and growing into a weeklong event that lights up South Florida. Otro Capital, the potential buyer, already has a stake in the Alpine Racing Formula One Team, so they definitely know the F1 game. They also invested in a new entity for the University of Utah’s athletic operations, finalized in June. This is a firm that clearly knows where to put its money in sports.
Ross’s Empire Just Keeps Growing and Shifting
Ross’s net worth is a staggering $21.5 billion, per Forbes, so a 20% stake sale is just another day at the office for him. He acquired majority control of the Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium way back in 2009 for a cool $1 billion. Just recently, in late 2024, he sold 13% of his combined assets,Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, and the Miami Grand Prix,in a deal that valued those assets at around $8.1 billion. Ares Management snagged 10% and Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai took 3%. That was a groundbreaking deal, one of the first private equity minority investments allowed in the NFL after a new policy rolled out in August of that year. Ross even reportedly turned down a $10 billion offer for all his sports assets in 2024! And last March, tech entrepreneur Lin Bin reportedly bought a 1% stake in Ross Sports & Entertainment at an insane $12.5 billion valuation. The Dolphins themselves are valued at $10.4 billion by Forbes. These numbers are eye-popping, showing just how much value these big-league sports operations command.
The F1 season is more than halfway done for 2026, and Kimi Antonelli, driving for Mercedes-AMG Petronas, won this year’s Miami Grand Prix in May and sits first overall. Looking ahead, the 2027 F1 schedule just dropped, promising a record-tying 24 races. The action kicks off March 12,14 in Bahrain, with Saudi Arabia hosting the second GP. And mark your calendars, because the Miami Grand Prix will be the sixth race of the season, running April 30 to May 2. Get ready, because the F1 hype is only building!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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